Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/199

CH. XII.] her Benjamin which was of very fine cloth, and richly embroidered with lace, had not fared so well: it was shockingly besmeared with dirt, and her little black riding hat, which had come in contact with the bank, as, in endeavouring to gain her footing, she had slipped up against it, was very much disfigured, being, now, fawn-coloured on one side and black on the other, having a very harlequinade shape and appearance. However little disposed a man may be for acts of gallantry, there are some cases in which he cannot help himself; this was clearly one of them. I dismounted, twisted the mule's tail, vociferated a word which I do not approve, (I do not mean to say it was swearing,) but which I had observed the muleteers used on such occasions, with infallible effect, and up the creature jumped, in an instant. The damsel was re-seated, and we proceeded after the rest of the travellers, who had, now, got far a-head of us.

My companion was a slight, delicately